


To Be Known, To Be Loved

by Heronfem



Series: Works for Others [4]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Falling In Love, Fluff, M/M, Missing Scene, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-23
Updated: 2018-05-23
Packaged: 2019-05-13 00:19:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14738537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heronfem/pseuds/Heronfem
Summary: Mahalen Lavellan is a beautiful man with beautiful tastes. Dominic Montagne, his soon to be husband, wonders if that taste will include him after Mahalen sees his scared face.





	To Be Known, To Be Loved

Mahalen Lavellan, Inquisitor and Herald of Andraste, is undeniably attractive. He is handsome as the day is long, with his pretty green eyes and deep clear brown skin and fox-red hair, and captures the attention of all who see him striding about. He's tall as well, so very tall for an elf, and he supplements it with heels that have half of Val Royeaux wondering who his cobbler is. Charming, elusive, fox-masked and full of razor wit, the Dread Inquisitor is a force to be reckoned with.

Lord Dominic Montagne, a well-to-do noble firmly in the middle of the pack when it comes to political power, does not seem to be a good match upon first sight.

But then, that's what second looks are for. 

An off the cuff proposal of a political marriage to give the Inquisition aid and also lavish Mahalen with whatever he desires for the rest of his life has turned into something new. Dominic has a stack of letters fifty pages deep now, missives back and forth that they've written getting to know each other. They've gone from being addressed to the Inquisitor, to Mahalen, and finally, to Hal. Dominic refuses to think on this too much, watching as the man himself settles into his seat and crosses one long, elegant leg over the other. The tea set laid out for the day is especially fine craftsmanship, with a pattern of crystal grace. It's the fifth such of these little tea parties, their seventh total proper face-to-face meeting, and Dominic feels quietly thrilled to have Hal in his home and eating his food once more. The food has been made with care, things that Hal has mentioned or that Dominic has observed him enjoying. 

Hal seems particularly enamored with the little eclairs dotted with tiny frosted roses, and Dominic settles down in his own seat to enjoy their afternoon. 

“I trust the journey wasn't bad?” he asks, smiling. “I'm certain I would have heard about it at length if it was.”

Hal's smile is utterly charming, with a bit of sweetness underneath that most people don't get to see. “It went well. I slept a good portion of the way in fox form, on well padded seats. The carriage you sent to fetch me is very comfortable.”

“I'll keep that in mind when you come next,” Dominic says with a smile, pouring him a glass of red wine. “There's a box for you behind the eclairs.”

Hal's eyes light up, and he picks up the little blue box with immediate interest. Dominic pours his own glass as he opens it, and smiles at the coo of delight as Hal plucks out a pair of soft but sturdy leather gloves with fine embroidery of fox heads on the backs and a fox head brooch in rose gold and rubies. 

“For when you're in the field, and for at home,” Dominic says with a smile. 

Hal immediately tries them on, eyes bright with pleasure at the fit. “Oh, these are lovely! Thank you.”

Dominic smiles, taking a sip of his wine and following it with one of the little finger sandwiches that have been prepared. They chat about nothing in particular for a bit, just enjoying each others company and gossiping about the worst of society in Val Royeaux. It seems like it'll be just another quite afternoon together when Hal suddenly changes the topic without meaning to.

“Why don't you take off your mask?” Hal asks absently, taking a sip of his wine.

Dominic's stomach drops out, and he unconsciously reaches up to touch the edges of it before he catches himself and forces his hand down. “What about it?”

“It's just that I've yet to see you with it off, and it's dreadfully hot today.” Hal says. He picks up another one of the little bite size sandwiches, examining it with interest. “I can barely stand the heat, and I should like to see your face.”

Dominic licks suddenly dry lips, and busies his hands adjusting his napkin to hide how they shake. He should have known this was coming. Of course it was coming. Hal would hardly wish to marry a man who wouldn't even show his face, and... and likely wouldn't want to marry him after he'd seen it. Dominic hadn't anticipated breaking his own heart today. He wasn't prepared for the rejection. Perhaps he could put it off for a bit longer, save himself the heartbreak til next time. 

“I doubt it's escaped your notice,” he says quietly, “but I'm no great beauty. I wear the mask for a reason. There is... There is heavy scarring, on my face. It's unpleasant to look upon, and I thought to spare you from having to look at any sort of unpleasantry while you're here in my home. I wish to spoil you, not your appetite.”

Hal raises an eyebrow at him, and Dominic swallows down the taste of bitter shame. 

“Do you think me so shallow as all that? To be put off by scars?”

He sounds more curious than offended, but Dominic still winces. 

“You make no secret of your love for beautiful and elegant things, and how high your standards are for both,” Dominic says, twisting the fabric in his lap. “Elegant, I can be. Graceful, and poised, that is something easily done and more easily learned. But any beauty I once had has been taken away from me and I... I will never match you in looks.”

“Few could,” Hal says, matter of fact, and Dominic can't quite help his smile at the self-assured tone. “Nor do you need to. I have enough good looks to cover half of Orlais.”

That startles a laugh out of him, and Hal looks pleased as Dominic stifles it behind his hand. 

Once he has his composure again, Dominic's smile fades. The scar is long, running down his left side, and not pretty to look at. It puckers here and there, dark purple and ropy in places. Hal is a true beauty, and while Dominic was acceptable in looks once, that's no longer the case. He doesn't want this to end. 

“It won't.”

Dominic grimaces. He hadn't meant to say that aloud. “You haven't seen my face yet.”

“Then let me see,” Hal says, as if it's just that simple. And Dominic supposes that it is, to him. Hal shrugs one graceful shoulder, eyes meeting his as he picks up his wine and sips it again. “I don't care about scars. They're an explanation of where someone's been, not the end-all-be-all of their existence. I like you, quite a bit. You spoil me rotten, and I'm not about to go tossing you aside just because your past left some marks.”

Dominic reaches up to touch the mask. “I don't wish to scare the servants.”

It's a flimsy excuse, but Hal seems to take it as a victory. He stands, offering his hand to Dominic, who takes it. “Come with me, then.”

Hal leads him through the garden to his favorite place, a smaller archway that's one of the entrances out to the greater garden space for summer parties. 

The archway is one with wisteria blooms mixed with vining crystal grace, and very pleasant to read under during the summer. There's a bench on one side, but Hal backs him up against the trellis itself, pressing him into greenery and blooms. The scent of it all is overpowering and delightful, and his heart hammers as Hal steps in close. He tries to look away, off to the side, but forces himself to look back. The blossoms hang down, brushing over his shoulders, and Dominic is terribly tense as Hal's hands reach up and gently remove the mask. He blinks a few times as it's set aside on the bench, looking down at the flagstones, but cool fingers cup his cheek and force him to look back. 

“If you wish to call this off, I'll understand,” he chokes out. Hal's expression is free of pity or disgust, simply full of fulfilled curiosity. 

“And why would I do that?” Hal asks him, leaning in to kiss his cheek, right over the scar. His lips are so very soft, and Dominic shivers at the touch of them to bare skin. “I don't appreciate being lied to, my Lord- and certainly you have lied to me, as you are terribly handsome in your full glory.”

Dominic's cheeks flush red, and it takes all his years of training not to squirm. “You needn't try to flatter me.”

“Not flattery, just truth.” 

Another kiss, feather soft and lingering, trailing up his cheek to his temple to rest there for a moment. Dominic's breathing grows a bit ragged. There's an intimacy to this that he's not experienced before with Hal. He feels frozen in the moment, caught and trapped by this magical and exquisite being that's fallen into his life. He dares to look at him properly, when Hal pulls back, and catches his breath at the softness to his eyes. He doesn't know when Hal's hand wrapped around his wrist, but he can feel the strange warping heat of the Anchor from under his glove. 

“I like your smile lines by your eyes,” Hal says, and Dominic blinks in surprise. “They're sweet. Much like you.”

“I don't know many people who'd describe me as sweet,” Dominic says, and Hal's lips curve into a pleased smile. 

“Good. Then I'm the one who gets to know you best.”

He looks so smug, this little fox with his cornered prey, and Dominic can't quite help ducking his head as he smiles. 

“You're such a terror.”

“It's what you like about me.”

“It truly is.” Dominic looks back up, and finds that Hal's smile has turned delighted. His own smile, so much more common to his face these days, turns soft. “You don't mind?”

Hal reaches up, cupping his cheek in his hand and gently running his thumb over part of the scar. Petals fall from the archway to litter in his red hair, the blooms turning him into something ethereal. Dominic catches his breath, entranced. “I don't mind at all.”

Dominic closes his eyes and feels a blush heat his cheeks as Hal begins peppering his face with kisses, soft and sweet as could be, and melts under the attention. Perhaps it isn't so bad, to be cared for like this, and he wraps his arm around Hal's waist to hold him close. Hal presses a final kiss to his nose before pulling back to look at him once more, pleased with himself. 

“Now,” Hal says, businesslike, “none of that nonsense again.”

“But-”

“No.” Hal kisses each cheek. “Let's be clear, Dominic-” And oh, Dominic likes how his name sounds on Hal's tongue. “-I would never marry a man who didn't match my standards. And you fit them perfectly. Anyone who says otherwise, including you, can take it up with me. And we both know who will win that particular fight.”

Dominic's heart swells, and he reaches up to catch Hal's face to kiss him in return. It's a soft thing, full of all the words he can't hope to say, and he lets Hal pull him back to the table with a smile on his face. The mask remains set to the side, all but forgotten. 

Teatime goes quickly, the food disappearing between the two of them, and he relaxes in his chair as Hal pokes around the garden a little to see what decorations he's changed and what he's added. There's the occasional noise of delight at discovering this piece of statuary or that, all of the new things pointed suggestions from Hal's last visit. His home has been quiet for so long, just him and the servants rattling around this empty box of a place. As he watches Hal fashion himself a crown of flowers from the garden and place it upon his head, he finds himself smiling.

The mansion could stand the mischief that a fox could bring.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me at heronfem on Tumblr! Swing by and say hi!


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